Whiffletree-hook



i 'A l a n (No Model.) l

A. CURTIS.

WHIPFLETREE HOOK.

No. 376,733. Pateted Jan.' 24, 1888,..

` Ummm SrATnswPATnNr OFFICE.

wHlFl-'LETREE-HOOK'.

SPECIFICATION forming'y part of Letters Patent No. 3716.733. dated January 24, 1888;

- Application filed October 7, 1887. Serial No. 251,678. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, AMASA CURTIs, a 'resident of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, -have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whifletree- Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which `it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I

Figure 1 shows the hook and a portion of the whiflietree seen from above. section on the line x'y of Fig. 1.

The remaining figures are views similar to Fig. l, except that the hook is shown in the Yvarious positions of attaching and detaching.

In all the views, A is an endl portion of a whifletree, and B au ordinary ferrnle thereon. The end of the whiffletree is axially perforated for the attachment of a head, C, which is provided with an integrally-formed screw, G, to p enter said perforation and rigidly connect the` The head head to the body of the whiffietree. Gis slotted horizontally from the outer end nearly to the en d of the Whiffletree, and the two parts thus formed are symmetrical with reference to the axis of the whole, so that the device may without change be placed upon either end of the whiftletree. A hook, E, approximately U-shapedin outline, is placed in `the slot, and through one of its ends and both parts of the head passes a pivot, D. The part lrotate freely in the opposite direction. When so rotated, the free end of the hook, as shown, lies continually in the slot until it passes the point I, when it falls beyond the outer line of4 the neck H a distance at leastequal tothe diameter of an ordinary cockeye or'trace-loop, F. It follows that the trace can be attached or detached only when thehook is at thelimitA of its backward movement.

It is to be noticed that when the trace-loopv is `carried past the angle I, Fig. 3, the hook must alsobe carried back until its point is nearlyor quite in Contact with the shoulder' J, an'dlthat consequently the loop cannot be v detached until the hook is moved in a contrary direction. This reverse motion is caused instantly :by simply rotating the trace-loop, as

indicated by the arrow-in Fig. 4, and the loopk "is entirely freed. In attaching-the trace the loop is inserted, as shown in Fig. 5, and car- Iied along the curve of the neck beneath, the

point of the hook. This motion of itself throws the hook backward until the angle Iis passed, when the trace may be quickly Inoved to the position of Fig. 1.

Accidental detachment of the trace is pra@ tically impossible; but it may be quickly and easily detached with one hand only. andwith out the use of the fingers separately.

A Itis evident that the upper'or the lower half of the head may be removed, or the head may be formed integrally with' the whiffiet'ree itself, and the operation of the device as a whole will be substantially the same. frontcurve of the neck is unimportant, and

the corresponding curve lupon'the rear mayalso be omittedif the pivot be placed nearer the rear side` ofthe whiffletree, and the arrangement will' be similar in operation and not without value.

t 75 So, too, the

The free end of the hookE is shown asfall- A; i

ing within the line of the head D, and I prefer this construction; but for security it is only necessary thaty it be not far enough without the line of the head to permit the passage of the hook between the two. v

Having now fullyshown and described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A Y ,I 1.- The combination, with a whiffletree, of a U-shaped hook having one ofsits ends -pivoted Y.

to the whiftletree at a distance from the side and end margins thereof approximately equal to the width of thehook, when the rearface of the whiflletree is provided with a transverse r `groove or depression inside the path described by the outer end of saidl pivoted hook, sub-V stantially as and for the purpose yset forth.4

IOO

2. The "combination, with the whiiiietree A,

provided with a transverse notch, H, in its v' rear face, of n hook7 E, formed substantially In testimony whereof I have signed `this ro as shown, and having one of its ends pvoted specification in the presence of two subscribto said Whiffletree, substantially as seb forth, ing Witnesses.

whereby a trace-loop engaged by said whifetree may be carried backward with said piv- AMASA CURTIS,

oted hook until it falls into said notch, and

may then be released by reversing the motion Vtnesses:

of the hook and withdrawingib from theloop, G. H. PATTISON,

but not otherwise. J. A. GRAIN. 

